[7]
Errol Flynn reteams with his Edge of Darkness co-star Ann Sheridan for this western drama directed by the prolific Raoul Walsh (High Sierra, Montana). Flynn plays a wrongly disgraced Union officer who builds a gambling empire that puts Silver River, Nevada, on the map. Silver River is based on a novel by Stephen Longstreet that sees Flynn’s character transform from a self-serving entrepreneur to a more community-minded leader, inspired largely by a friendly lawyer character played by the always wonderful Thomas Mitchell (It’s a Wonderful Life, Stagecoach). Mitchell functions like Jiminy Cricket to Flynn’s Pinocchio, but his influence isn’t strong enough to stop Flynn from stealing Sheridan away from her husband, a local silver mine owner played by Bruce Bennett (Mildred Pierce), or from sending Bennett on a dangerous errand that might tragically resolve their love triangle.
There’s a lot of story in Silver River, with characters achieving wild ambitions and falling from grace. The final leg of Flynn’s character arc transpires a little too quickly and requires some suspension of disbelief. But the film moves quickly enough that it’s never boring, and more importantly, the characters are charismatic enough to carry us through. This is a great Han Solo-like rapscallion role for Flynn, and he has some terrific banter with Sheridan. She’s a gruff, no-nonsense sort who openly despises Flynn for the first half of the movie, demonstrating once again that the more characters quarrel, the more they love each other. Flynn’s scenes with Mitchell are among the film’s strongest. Tom D’Andrea provides a little comic relief as Flynn’s oldest and most loyal friend.
With Barton MacLane, Monte Blue, Jonathan Hale, and a score by Max Steiner.